diff --git a/connector/external/config.go b/connector/external/config.go
index caa2b7e..bf2a5f8 100644
--- a/connector/external/config.go
+++ b/connector/external/config.go
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ func init() {
 				IsPassword:  true,
 				Required:    true,
 			},
+			&ConfigEntry{
+				Name:        "initial_backlog",
+				Description: "Maximum number of messages to load when joining a channel",
+				IsNumeric:   true,
+				Default:     "100",
+			},
 		},
 	})
 }
diff --git a/external/messenger.py b/external/messenger.py
index f857b46..cb48410 100755
--- a/external/messenger.py
+++ b/external/messenger.py
@@ -107,60 +107,31 @@ class InitialSyncThread(threading.Thread):
                     "room": thread.uid,
                 })
 
-                self.send_room_info(thread, members)
-                self.send_room_members(thread, members)
+                self.bridge.send_room_info(thread, members)
+                self.bridge.send_room_members(thread, members)
 
             self.backlog_room(thread)
 
 
-    def send_room_info(self, thread, members):
-        room_info = {}
-        if thread.name is not None:
-            room_info["name"] = thread.name
-        else:
-            who = [m for m in members if m.uid != self.client.uid]
-            if len(who) > 3:
-                room_info["name"] = ", ".join([self.bridge.getUserShortName(m) for m in who[:3]] + ["..."])
-            else:
-                room_info["name"] = ", ".join([self.bridge.getUserShortName(m) for m in who])
-
-        if thread.photo is not None:
-            room_info["picture"] = mediaObjectOfURL(thread.photo)
-        else:
-            for m in members:
-                if m.uid != self.client.uid and m.photo is not None:
-                    room_info["picture"] = mediaObjectOfURL(m.photo)
-                    break
-
-        self.bridge.write({
-            "_type": ROOM_INFO_UPDATED,
-            "room": thread.uid,
-            "data": room_info,
-        })
-
-    def send_room_members(self, thread, members):
-        for member in members:
-            sys.stderr.write("fb thread member: {}\n".format(member))
-            self.bridge.ensureJoined(self.bridge.getUserId(member), thread.uid)
-
     def backlog_room(self, thread):
         prev_last_seen = self.bridge.cache_get("last_seen_%s"%thread.uid)
         if prev_last_seen == "":
-            messages = self.client.fetchThreadMessages(thread.uid, limit=100)
-        else:
-            messages = []
-            found = False
-            while not found:
-                before = None
-                if len(messages) > 0:
-                    before = messages[-1].timestamp
-                page = self.client.fetchThreadMessages(thread.uid, before=before, limit=20)
-                for m in page:
-                    if m.uid == prev_last_seen:
-                        found = True
-                        break
-                    else:
-                        messages.append(m)
+            prev_last_seen = None
+
+        messages = []
+        found = False
+        while not found:
+            before = None
+            if len(messages) > 0:
+                before = messages[-1].timestamp
+            page = self.client.fetchThreadMessages(thread.uid, before=before, limit=20)
+            for m in page:
+                if m.uid == prev_last_seen or len(messages) > self.bridge.init_backlog_length:
+                    found = True
+                    break
+                else:
+                    messages.append(m)
+
         for m in reversed(messages):
             if m.text is None:
                 m.text = ""
@@ -189,6 +160,7 @@ class MessengerBridge:
         self.rev_uid = {}
         self.uid_map = {}
         self.joined_map = {}
+        self.init_backlog_length = 100
 
     def getUserId(self, user):
         retval = None
@@ -276,6 +248,7 @@ class MessengerBridge:
     def handle_cmd(self, cmd):
         ty = cmd["_type"]
         if ty == CONFIGURE:
+            self.init_backlog_length = int(cmd["data"]["initial_backlog"])
             client_file = "/tmp/fbclient_" + hashlib.sha224(cmd["data"]["email"].encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
 
             try:
@@ -378,6 +351,36 @@ class MessengerBridge:
     def cache_put(self, key, value):
         self.write({"_type": CACHE_PUT, "key": key, "value": value})
 
+    def send_room_info(self, thread, members):
+        room_info = {}
+        if thread.name is not None:
+            room_info["name"] = thread.name
+        else:
+            who = [m for m in members if m.uid != self.client.uid]
+            if len(who) > 3:
+                room_info["name"] = ", ".join([self.getUserShortName(m) for m in who[:3]] + ["..."])
+            else:
+                room_info["name"] = ", ".join([self.getUserShortName(m) for m in who])
+
+        if thread.photo is not None:
+            room_info["picture"] = mediaObjectOfURL(thread.photo)
+        else:
+            for m in members:
+                if m.uid != self.client.uid and m.photo is not None:
+                    room_info["picture"] = mediaObjectOfURL(m.photo)
+                    break
+
+        self.write({
+            "_type": ROOM_INFO_UPDATED,
+            "room": thread.uid,
+            "data": room_info,
+        })
+
+    def send_room_members(self, thread, members):
+        for member in members:
+            sys.stderr.write("fb thread member: {}\n".format(member))
+            self.ensureJoined(self.getUserId(member), thread.uid)
+
     def ensureJoined(self, userId, room):
         key = "{}--{}".format(userId, room)
         if not key in self.joined_map:
diff --git a/templates/home.html b/templates/home.html
index 1975297..a33b8a0 100644
--- a/templates/home.html
+++ b/templates/home.html
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@
 
 <h5 class="mt-4">Add account</h5>
 
-<a class="btn btn-sm btn-dark" href="/add/IRC">IRC</a>
-<a class="btn btn-sm btn-warning ml-4" href="/add/XMPP">XMPP</a>
-<a class="btn btn-sm btn-info ml-4" href="/add/Mattermost">Mattermost</a>
+<a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary mr-4" href="/add/Mattermost">Mattermost</a>
+<a class="btn btn-sm btn-warning mr-4" href="/add/XMPP">XMPP</a>
+<a class="btn btn-sm btn-dark mr-4" href="/add/IRC">IRC</a>
+<a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary mr-4" href="/add/Messenger">Facebook Messenger</a>
 
 {{end}}